Mount for machine guns



July 9, 1946. J. M. EWART MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 14

v NQ 3 Inventor John Ewart July 9, 1946. J. M. EwART 2,403,591

MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Feb. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' InventorJohnME'w Y Patented July 9, 1946 MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS John M. Ewart,Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,Flemington, N. a corporation of New Jersey Application February 14,1944,.Serial No. 522,325

16 Claims. (o 89-37) This invention relates to ordnance mounts and moreparticularly to a mount for a plurality of machine guns. v I I tion isshown as embodied in a mount for two .50 caliber Browning machine guns,but it' :is' to be understood that the invention is of broader utilityand may be used with other makes of guns or in mounts for more or lessthan two guns.

Machine guns of the type above mentioned are commonly provided neartheir back ends with a pair of apertured ears and near their front endswith a pair of oppositely disposed threaded attaching bosses which areused for securing the guns to an adaptor or equivalent supportingstructure. Objects of this invention are to pro.- vide a novel andimproved gun mount for accommodating machine guns of this type in whichthe guns can be readily installed and which are so arranged thatadjustments for bore-sighting are facilitated and displacement of theguns for servicing made possible without disturbing previously madebore-sighting adjustments. With these ends in view, and in accordancewith a feature of this invention, the adaptor is provided with separatemounting means for cooperating with the threaded attaching bosses at thefront end of a machine gun and with the apertured ears at its back endto support it on the adaptor, each of the supporting means being adaptedfor ready attachment to the aforementioned parts of the gun and capableof imparting adjusting movements in different directions thereto. Moreparticularly, the mounting means for cooperating with the threadedattaching bores comprises a yoke-like member rotatably mounted in theadaptor and having threaded members associated therewith for pivotallyand adjustably securing the front end of the gun thereto. The mountingmeans for cooperating with the apertured ears, in accordance with afurther feature of the invention, comprise carriage members adaptedslidably and pivotally to support the back end of the gun and alsoarranged for adjustment laterally of the adaptor for bore sighting.These carriage members are furthermore provided with means for lockingthem in adjusted position, as Well as with threaded means forfacilitating adjusting movements thereof; the threaded means alsoserving as a stop for relocating the gun after displacement forservicing or removal for repair. For slidably and pivotally mounting theback end of the guns these carriage members have formed in themguideways having oppositely facing walls, for receiving trunnion blockson which the apertured ears of the guns are rotatably mounted and,

As herein illustrated the invenin accordancev with a further feature ofthis invention, means are provided for varying the dis tance betweenthese oppositely facing walls to take up for wear and also toaccommodate manuil facturingvariationsinthe distance betweenjtheoutside-faces of these, ears. l l

. The above and other objects and features of 1e invention will appearinthe following detailed description of the preferred embodimentthereofshown in the accompanying drawings and will be ointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings, Y z

Fig. l is apla view of a machine-gun mount embodying thisinventionf Fig.'2 isa sectional view of the mount taken on the lineII-JI of Fig. 1,looking. in the directicn of. the arrowsandshowing certain'of, the partsin elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the mount the line III- --III.of Fig. 1.

Referrin to the drawings-in which the invention issliown. embodied inamount for two machine guns, the reference character I!) designates:

taken on v anladaptor comprising an elongated hollow boxlikejs t'ructureformed of welded sheet metal andhaving side walls I2, l2, top and bottomplates. l5, l5, and lateral members l8, l8. At the right-. hand end ofthe adaptor, as-viewed in Fig. 1, the

t? and bottom plates are, extended, as indicated at 2fi,'26, to providesupports for hand grips 22",- 22, a cross brace 24 being provided tostrengthen thev assembly at this point. In, use the adaptor ispivotallymounted, for movement of the guns in'elevation, ,on the top of asuitable support 26,-

havinga bifurcated upper end, by means of a pivot pin 28; the supportZBbeing itself rotatable for swinging the adaptor, and the guns carried,

thereby, in azimuth.

Near the front end of the adaptor there is a bushing 30 having flanges32, 32 against which the side walls l2, l2 bear, and athrough-andthrough bore 34 in which are mounted two yoke members '36,36. These yoke members are held in place in the bushing by means of abolt 40 having a castellated lock nut 42 which draws thrust shoulders44, 44 on the yoke members against the ends of the bushing 30. 'The'lock nut 42 is tightened just enough to take up all looseness whilestill permitting rotation 'of the yoke members within the bushing 0ncylindrical end portions 46, 46 on these members and a cotter pin 45being provided to hold it in adjusted position. Secured to the bottomside of the adaptor, somewhat to therear of its middle portion, is alaterally extending crossbar 50, formed out of a channel-shaped piece ofmetal which projects outwardly beyond each side of the adaptor.

The guns, indicated by the reference characters 52, 52, which theadaptor i designed to support, are of a known type and are each providedadjacent to their front ends with a recoil sleeve 54 having oppositelypositioned threaded supporting bosses 56-, 56. At its back end, each gunhas two downwardly projecting ears 58 58, likewise intended forsupporting purposes, and these ears are each provided with a bore 60.

Slidably mounted on each of the projecting ends of the crossbar 50 is a,carriage 62 having a fiatbottom face 64 and two downwardly turned,-guide flanges 66, 68, Figs. 1 and 2 For holding each carriage in anydesired position of adjustment, on the crossbar 58, a clamping bolt [0,,having, a nut I2 and a lock nut I4, is provided, and these clampingbolts pass through elongated slots. 16,, 76, in the ends of thecrossbar. Th nuts I2 bear against filler blocks I8, interposed betweenthem and the bottom of the, crossbar 56. Eachcarriage is provided with,oppositely facing lengthwise guideways, or grooves, having side and,bottom faces 82 and.84, respectively.

The ears 58, 58 on each of, the guns are rotatabl mounted on a trunnionshaft 90, received in the bores 68, 60, and having ends 92 of reduceddiameter that project into trunnion blocks 94, 94. Thes blocks, whichare held loosely on the, ends. of the trunnion shafts by cotter-pins 95,are of such a size as to have a nice sliding, f t between the side faces82, 82 of the grooves in the carriages 62 and are further provided witharcuately shaped end faces 35, for engaging the bottom, faces 84 ofthese grooves. 'Ilhe bottmnv fa e 84 of he outside groove on each ofthe, carriagesis formedby the side of a wedge-shaped block 98, having aninclined surface I08. which bears, against a similarly inclined face I02on the carriage. Each of the wedge blocks 98 has secured to it a,threade stud I84 which projects, outwardly through an elongated slot I86in the Carriage and. on this stud is a wedge lockingnut I03. A will beapparent, when the nut I08 i loosened thewedge blockmay be shiftedlaterally of the carriage in. such a way as to increase or decrease thedistance between the bottom faces 84, 84 of the earriage grooves. ly hew e blocks are so adjus d. t t, the arcuate ends J6, 55 of the, trunnionblocks have a nice sliding fit between the bottom faces 84, 84 of thegrooves, and, the blocks. themselves bear snugly against the outsidesurfaces. of the ears 58, 58. The distance between the shoulders 93, 93,formed by the reduced ends. 92 92, on the trunnion shafts 9I'l, issomewhat. less. than the, distance between opposite faces. of thesears58 58 and enough less so that the blQQks; 94,, 84 will bear on theoutside, surfaces. of these ears without striking the shoulders, Thetrunnion shafts 98 are short enough to clear the bottom, faces 84, 84 ofthe grooves. This. arrangement makes it possible to accommodate such,variations in the distance between the outside surfaces of the ears 58.,5.8 as may b encountered indifferent guns by suitable adjustment. of thewedge blocks 98.

The yokes 36 are each; provided with alined threaded bores I I0, H0 inwhich are mounted bored externally threaded gun-adjusting screws H2, H2and fitted within these screws are gunclamping screws H4, H4, eachhaving an inner end H6, threaded into a boss 56 of the recoil sleeve,and a head I H which bears against the outer endof a gun-adjusting screwH2. Lock nuts H8 are provided for locking the gun-adjusting screws H2 inadjusted position. Each of the carriages 62 has at its outer end adownwardly turned flange through which i threaded a stop screw I28provided with a, lock nut I22.

Adjacent to one of the hand grips 22 there is mounted on the adaptor atrigger I38 which operates through a mechanical linkage, includingrollers I32, I32 for engaging the gun sears I34, I34 to fire the guns. Asafety lock, indicated generally by the reference character I38, is alsoprovided.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, each recoil sleeve 54 is slidably mounted onan inner sleeve member I46 that is threaded onto a forwardly projectingcylindrical portion I42 of the gun. This cylindrical portion is bored toslidably receive the gun barrel I44 and its surrounding jacket I46.Springs, not shown, are arranged between the inner sleeve I48 and therecoil sleeve 54 to cushion the recoil when the gun is fired bypermitting a slight rearward movement of the bodyof the gun with respectto the recoil sleeve 54. This rearward movement of the body of the gunis accommodated by the sliding of the trunnion blocks 84, 9,4 in theirguideways.

In Fig. 1 the uppermost gun is shown in position for use, while thelowermost gun is illustrated in an intermediate position which it willassume either when being mounted on, or removed from, the adaptor. Inremoving either of the guns, the clamping screws H4, H4, on thecorresponding yoke 36, and nuts 12 and I4 on bolt Ill are loosened. topermit the back end of the gun to bemoved out to the position in whichthe lowermost gunin Fig. l is shown, carriage 62 sliding out untilthebolt 28 comes to the end of the slot I6 and the clamping screws H4turning in the bores of the. gun-adjusting screws I I2, H2. Thecurvature of the arcuate ends 96 of the trunnion blocks 94 is suificientto permit this without binding in the carriage grooves. The clampingscrews H4, H4. may now be unscrewed from the recoil sleeve 54 and thegun removed from the. adaptor by first swinging its front end out farenough to clear the yoke 36 and then sliding the gun forwardly until theblocks 84, 94 are free from their grooves in the carriag I52.

In placing a gun in the adaptor the above procedure is reversed, i. e..the trunnion blocks 94 are inserted in the grooves in the carriage 62,and then the front end of the gun with its recoil sleeve is swung in soas to bring the threaded bosses. 56, 56 on the recoil sleeve 54 intoalinement with the gun-adjusting screws H2. Now, after the clampingscrews H4, H4 have been threaded into the recoil sleeves loosely, theback end of the gun is swung in to the position in which the uppermostgun in Fig. 1 is shown and until the. stop screw I26 bears against theouter end of the crossbar 5U. Nuts 72 and I4 may now be-tightened, thewedge block 98 adjusted, and the lock nut [08 tightened. The front endof the. gun is next made secure by turning the gunadjusting screws H2,H2 down against the faces of the bosses 56, 56, tightening the lock nutsH6,

H8, and finally tightening the gun-clamping screws H4, H4.

Bore-sighting adjustments of the guns are made in the following manner.To adjust a gun in elevation, the gun-clamping screws H4, H4 and locknuts I I8, I I8 are first loosened and then, by suitable turning of thegun-adjusting screws H2, the front end of the gun may be raised orlowered until the desired sighting in elevation is obtained, whereuponthe lock nuts H8 are again tightened. During this adjustment the gunpivots at its rearmost end on the trunnion shaft 90 and the yoke 36turns slightly in the bushing 30 enough to accommodate itself to thehigher or lower position of the front end of the gun and to avoidbinding of the gun-adjusting and gunclamping screws. In adjusting a gunin azimuth, the gun-clamping screws H4, H4 and nuts 72 and I4 areloosened and the lateral position of the back end of the gun is changedby sliding the carriage 62 along on the crossbar 50 until the desiredsighting in azimuth is obtained. To facilitate this adjustment the stopscrew I 26 may be employed in the following manner. With the lock nutI22 loosened this stop screw is backed off away from the end of thecrossbarfifi and a rough adjustment of the back end of the un in azimuthis made. The screw I20 is now turned until its end touches the end ofthe crossbar 56, after which the continued turning of the screw in onedirection or another, while its end is held against the crossbar againstthe carriage 62, will give a fine adjustment of the gun in azimuth.

The stop screw I20 makes it possible to service either one of the gunswithout disturbing its boresighting adjustment, since the gun to beserviced may be moved to the position shown in the lower part of Fig. 1,merely by loosening the gun-clamping screws I I 4, H4, which does notdisturb the setting of the gun-adjusting screws H2, H2, and the nuts 12and 14. In this position, the back plate assembly of the gun, indicatedin general by the reference character I553, may be removed. Afterservicing, the back end of the gun is moved back to its former adjustedposition, as determined by the engagement of the stop screw I20 with theouter end of the crossbar 50, and the gun-clamping screws H4, H4 andnuts I2 and retightened. Although not usually necessary for servicing,the gun may be entirely removed from the adaptor, without altering thesetting of the gun-adjusting screws I I2 or the stop screw I 29, andthen replaced without disturbing its previous bore-sighting adjustments.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mount for two machine guns comprising an adaptor, a pair of yokemembers rotatably mounted on the adaptor, means for pivotally andadjustably mounting the front ends of a pair of machine guns on the yokemembers, a pair of carriage members adjustably mounted on the adaptor,and means associated with the carriage members for slidably andpivotally supporting the back ends of said machine guns.

2. A mount for machine guns comprising an adaptor, a yoke memberrotatably mounted on the adaptor, means for pivotally and adjustablymounting the front end of a machine gun on the yoke member, a carriagemember adjustably mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yokemember, and means associated with the carriage member for pivotally andslidably supporting the back end of said machine gun.

3. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses adjacent its front end and apertured earsadjacent its back end comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke membersrotatably mountedon the adaptor, means adapted to engage the threadedattaching bosses of a pair of machine guns for adjustably and pivotallysecuring the front ends of the machine guns to said yoke members, and

I56 by inward pressuremeans on the adaptor for engaging the aperturedears of said machine guns-to slidably and adjustably secure the backends of the guns to the adaptor.

4. A mount for a machine gun of the type having oppositely positionedthreadedattaching bosses adjacent their front ends and apertured earsadjacent their back ends comprising "an adaptor, a yoke member rotatablymounted on the adaptor, means adapted to engage the threaded attachingbosses of a machine gun for adjustably and pivotally securing the frontend of the'gun to the yoke member, and means on the adaptor for engagingthe apertured ears of said machine gun to slidably and adjustably securethe back end of the gun to the adaptor.

5. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near its front end and apertured ears adjacentits back end-comprising an adaptor, a.

pair of'yoke members rotatably mounted on the adaptor, .a pair of alinedthreaded openings: in each yoke member, a bored adjusting'screw in eachof the threaded openings, and. a gun-clamping screw received in each ofthe adjusting screws for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of apair ofmachine guns pivotally to secure them to the yoke members, andmeans on the adaptor cooperating with the aperturedears of the guns foradjustably and slidablysupporting the back ends of the guns.

6. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured earsadjacent their back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke memberrotatably'. mounted on the adaptor, a pair of alined threaded openingsin the yoke member, a bored adjusting screwin each of the threadedopenings, and a gun-. clamping screw received in each of the adjustingscrews for engaging the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gunpivotally to secure it to the yoke member, and means on the adaptorcooperating with the apertured ears of the gun for adjustably andslidably supporting the back end of the gun.: w s

7. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near its front end and apertured ears adjacentits back end comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatablymounted on the adaptor, means carried by the yoke members adapted toengage the threaded attaching bosses of apair of machine guns foradjustably and,

pivotally securing them to the adaptor, a sup porting member secured tothe adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke members and having ends thatproject laterally beyond the opposite sides of the adaptor, carriagemembers mounted on each end of the supporting member for adjustmentlaterally of the adaptor, and means associated with the carriage membersand adapted to cooperate'with the apertured ears of said machine gunsfor slidably and pivotally supporting their back ends on the adaptor;

8. A mount for machine guns ofthe .type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bossesnear their front ends and apertured earsadjacent to their back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke memberrotatably mounted on the adaptor, means carried by the yokememberadapted to engage the threaded'attaching bosses of a machine gun foradjustably and-pivotally securing its front end to the adaptor, asupporting member secured to the adaptor in spaced relation to the yokemember and having an end that projects laterally beyond. one side of theadaptor, a carriage member mounted on the supporting member foradjustment laterally of the adaptor, and means associated with thecarriage. member and adapted to cooperate with the apertured ears ofsaid machine gun for slidably and pivotally supporting its back end onthe adaptor.

9. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears neartheir back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatablymounted in the adaptor, means carried by the yoke members adapted toengage the threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns foradjustably and pivotally securing them to the adaptor, a supportingmember secured to the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke members andhaving ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sides of theadaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supporting memberfor adjustment laterally of the adaptor, oppositely facing guideways' onthe carriage members, and means associated with these guideways adaptedto cooperate with the apertured ears of said machine guns for slidablyand pivotally supporting their back ends onthe adaptor, said meansincluding trunnion blocks slidable in the guideways.

10. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attachin bosses near their front ends and apertured ears neartheir back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mountedin the adaptor, means carried by the yoke member adapted to engage thethreaded attaching bosses of a machine gun for adjustably and pivotallysecuring it to the adaptor, a supporting member secured to the adaptorin spaced relation to the yoke member and having an end that projects:laterally beyond one side of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted onthe supporting member for adjustment laterally of the adaptor,oppositely facing guideways on the carriage member, and means associatedwith the guideways adapted to cooper-i ate with the apertured ears ofsaid machine gun for slidably and pivotally supporting its back end onthe adaptor, said means including trunnion blocks slidable in theguideways.

11. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositelypositioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and aperturedears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke membersrotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engagingthe threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns to secure themthereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relationto the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond theopposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end ofthe supporting member for adjustment lateral- 1y of the adaptor,trunnion blocks, guideways having oppositely facing walls formed on saidcarriagc members for slidably receiving the trunnion blocks, and meansfor rotatably mounting the apertured ears of said machine guns on saidblocks, said carriage members being provided with means for varying thedistance between the oppositely facing walls of its guideways.

12. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears neartheir back ends comprising an adaptor, a

yoke member rotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means forengaging the threaded attaching bosses of a machine gun to secure itthereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relationto the yoke member and having an end that projects laterally beyond oneside of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted on the supporting memberfor adjustment laterally of the adaptor, trunnion blocks, guidewayshaving oppositely facing walls formed on said carriage member forslidably receiving the trunnion blocks, and means for rotatably mountingthe apertured ears of the machine gun on said blocks, said carriagemember being pro vided with means for varying the distance between theoppositely facing walls of its guideways.

13. A mount for two machine guns of the typehaving oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears neartheir back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke members rotatablymounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threadedattaching bosses of a pair of machine guns to secureit thereto, asupporting member mounted on the adapter in spaced relation to the yokemembers and having ends that project laterally beyond the opposite sidesof the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end of the supportingmember for adjustment laterally of the adaptor, trunnion blocks,guideways having oppositely facing walls formed on said carriage membersfor slidably receiving the trunnion blocks, means for rotatably mountingthe apertured ears of said machine guns on said blocks, and meanscomprising wedge blocks associated with each carriage member for varyingthe distance between the oppositely facing walls of its guideways.

14. A mount for machine guns of the type having oppositely positionedthreaded attaching bosses near their front ends and apertured ears neartheir back ends comprising an adaptor, a yoke member rotatably mountedon the adaptor and provided with means for engaging the threadedattaching bosses of a machine gun to secure it thereto, a supportingmember mounted on the adaptor in spaced relation to the yoke member andhaving an end that projects laterally beyond one side of the adaptor, a,carriage member mounted on the supporting member for adjustmentlaterally of the adaptor, trunnion blocks, guideways having oppositelyfacing walls formed on said carriage member for slidably receiving thetrunnion blocks, means for rotatably mounting the apertured ears of saidmachine gun on said blocks, and means comprising wedge blocks associatedwith the carriage members for varying the distance between theoppositely facing walls of its guideways.

15. A mount for two machine guns of the type having oppositelypositioned threaded attaching bosses near their front ends and aperturedears near their back ends comprising an adaptor, a pair of yoke membersrotatably mounted on the adaptor and provided with means for engagingthe threaded attaching bosses of a pair of machine guns to secure themthereto, a supporting member mounted on the adaptor in spaced relationto the yoke members and having ends that project laterally beyond theopposite sides of the adaptor, carriage members mounted on each end ofthe supporting member for movement laterally of the adaptor, means forsecuring the carriage members. in adjusted position on the supporting 101 adaptor in spaced'relation to the yoke member and having an end thatprojects beyond the side of the adaptor, a carriage member mounted onthe supporting member for movement laterally of the adaptor, means forsecuring the carriage member in adjusted position on the supportingmember, threaded means for moving the carriage member, and meansassociated with the carriage member for cooperating with the aperturedears of the machine gun for supporting it On the adaptor.

JOHN M. EWART.

